Slumping Cyclones on brink of historic slide

Slumping Cyclones on brink of historic slide

Cyclones manager Edgar Alfonzo’s struggling team needs one win to avoid the longest losing streak in the modern history of the New York-Penn League. Eagle photo by Jeff Melnik

One Loss Away from Longest NY-Penn Skid During Modern Era

By John Torenli, Sports Editor

Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Cyclones have already suffered the most losses of any ball club that has ever graced the grass on Coney Island.

That’s dating back to the franchise’s origins here in the summer of 2001.

They also have scored the least runs (203 through 60 games) and own the worst team ERA (4.72) on the 14-team New York-Penn League circuit.

The Baby Bums slipped an eye-popping 30 games below .500 with Wednesday night’s 8-0 loss to Hudson Valley in front of 4,009 ultra-loyal fans at MCU Park, many of whom doubtlessly came to see Mets All-Star closer Jeurys Familia make his second straight rehab outing.

And yet, there is still more misery awaiting this team.

With a loss Thursday night against the blistering-hot Renegades, who have reeled off 12 consecutive wins during Brooklyn’s slide into the abyss, the Cyclones (15-45) will become the first team in the modern history of the NY-Penn to drop 13 consecutive games.

Since official records of these streaks have only been kept since 2005, there is no way of determining if Brooklyn’s run of futility is among the worst ever in the league, which was originally founded in 1939.

But by managing just four hits, two apiece by Quinn Brodey and Carlos Sanchez on Wednesday night, and going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position en route to their sixth shutout loss of the summer, the Cyclones matched Aberdeen’s 12-game slide from 2013.

He allowed one unearned run, courtesy of shortstop Dylan Snypes’ fielding error in the top of the second inning, and four hits with one walk and six strikeouts over four strong innings, topping out at 96 miles-per-hour on the radar gun.

Familia, making back-to-back appearances for the first time during this month’s six-game rehab stint as he works his way back from surgery to remove a blood clot near his right shoulder in May, followed Viall out of the pen.

The hulking right-hander surrendered a hit and struck out one over his scoreless inning of work, needing just 13 pitches, 11 of which were strikes, to navigate his way through the four batters he faced.

Familia also tossed a perfect inning of relief during Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Hudson Valley, and wasn’t scheduled to be on hand when the Cyclones tried to avert their 13th straight loss Thursday as he is likely to join the parent-club Mets in Washington, D.C. this weekend.

"Right now, I'm not trying to worry about closing games," he added. "I just want to finish the season strong, help my team and try to have good outings."

The slim 1-0 deficit Familia kept in place also had Brooklyn fans feeling that this might be the night streak ended. At least until the ’Clones bullpen imploded in the seventh inning.

Reliever Trent Johnson was pounded for seven runs on eight hits over 2 1/3 frames, erasing any hope that the evening might result in Brooklyn’s first victory since Aug. 9 at West Virginia, and initial triumph on home turf since Aug. 2 versus Tri-City.

After finishing up with the Renegades on Thursday night, Brooklyn will have an away-home-away three-game set with arch rival and McNamara Division-leading Staten Island this weekend.

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In other local pro sports news, the Brooklyn-based New York Islanders on Thursday announced that Chris Terreri will be their goaltending development coach and the goalie coach at AHL Bridgeport.

He’ll also serve in a scouting capacity for the Islanders as new full-time head coach Doug Weight continues to reshape the team’s support staff this summer.

Terreri, who spent 15 seasons between the pipes as an NHL netminder, spent the last 16 years as a member of the New Jersey Devils’ coaching staff, including the last eight as the team’s goaltending coach, working with the legendary Martin Brodeur.

"Chris has a vast amount of knowledge and experience, both as a player and a coach," Islanders President and General Manager Garth Snow said of Terreri, who captured two Stanley Cups while backing up Brodeur in New Jersey in 1995 and 2000.

"We're excited for him to work with our goalies at every level, as well as assist in our scouting process and to make his mark on this crucial position."

Terreri joins a list of former NHL veterans added to Weight’s coaching staff this summer. Including former Devils teammate Scott Gomez, Kelly Buchberger and Luke Richardson.